Call us ‘designers’, but that’s probably not the term we should use. Something along the lines of ‘problem solvers’ might be more appropriate. I felt inspired to evaluate my stance as a designer after reading a great article on Drawar about the true definition of a designer.

Being a designer isn’t just drawing pretty pictures (contrary to Veer’s popular shirt), or making things look fabulous. Whether online or printed, my job as a designer is to solve problems. So the aesthetic plays a role, but it’s not what drives the design. True design is so much more than drop shadows, gradients, and Photoshop fanciness. It’s an understanding of the fundamental problem. The solution to the problem is the design. Everything else is just art wrapped around.

Don’t get me wrong, the ‘prettiness’ can definitely enhance the overall design, and make it more effective, however, you lean art to solve the problem by itself.

So, when I’m asked, “Can you design me a website?”, I respond with “Do you need one?” then inevitably, “Why?” If everyone understands the complexity of the project’s problem, then everyone involved can better understand what the design is doing.

Properly define and understand the problem first, because without a clearly defined problem, there can be no solution. If you can’t solve it, you can’t design it.

< Back to the blog home